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Two Smudde siblings. One blog. No apologies.

My Workspace is my Headspace

This week I’ve been without an office at work. My office is being painted so I’ve been working wherever I can find a table. I’ve been in and out of conference rooms and my coworkers’ offices, trying to get work done without getting in the way.

To be honest, it’s been a little difficult. For me, my workspace often reflects my headspace. If I’m working in a messy space my thoughts tend to be messy and disorganized. Sometimes, when I just can’t find my rhythm while writing, I’ll take a few minutes to clean up my desk or rewrite my notes. It helps me clear my head and clean up my thoughts.

This week, I’ve been without a permanent workspace. I’ve had to carry my office with me and have not had the space to spread out. It’s been difficult to find my rhythm.

It’s not surprising really. I’m not the only person, creative or otherwise, who needs to have some type of routine in my life to feel productive. So many famous writers have routines they like to follow and having a specific space to work in is essential. See? I’m not that strange.

Anyway, what’s really helped me this week, besides my wonderful coworker letting me use her table as my temporary desk, has been my new at-home workspace. My friend built me my own standing desk and then Michael rearranged the living room so I could have my own space right behind the couch. It’s been nice to have a clean desk to work on at home, a space all my own that I don’t have to clear off when I need it. It’s awesome!

I know not everyone is a fan of routine or really needs routine in their life to be productive. Some people thrive on being impulsive and spur of the moment, which I cannot even begin understand. How in the world do those people stay focused? It baffles me.

Now, not everyone likes routine, but I think everyone should have a designated workspace. I feel like there’s a benefit to having a space set aside for when you want to focus on something, like in my case writing. When you step into that space you know exactly what you should be doing. It helps you get into the right headspace.

The best example I can think of to illustrate this would be clothing.

I feel like everyone had heard the old adage “Dress for the job you want,” which basically means present yourself like how you want to be seen professionally and you’ll get ahead. I think this works, and let me know if you think otherwise, because you’re putting yourself into the right headspace. It’s the same reason dressing up for an interview, even if it’s over the phone, can help you feel more confident. You know exactly what’s going to happen when you present yourself like that. You’re going to be taken seriously.

I feel like the same thing applies to work out clothing. Well, at least it applies to me. When I put on my running shoes and workout clothes, I feel more motivated to actually work out. It’s like my subconscious knows that it’s time to run and I just feel like I need to. It helps me feel focused.

I feel like this is the same reason having a designated workspace is so motivating and helpful. When you sit down at your desk you know exactly what you should be doing. By sitting down, you’ve told yourself and the people around you that it’s time to get shit done, and that can be very motivating.